Another hoot, answering the first. Michael then realized that there was movement all around them. They were surrounded by the hooters. Michael had no idea how many were there, but he knew that they on the hunt and that Michael’s men were the prey.

“Fall back,” Michael told the others. They were at a disadvantage here. There was more than just Troodon out here.

In front of Michael, a creature with two crests on the top of her head hopped out of the bushes. Before Michael could react, a frill appeared and the animal hissed loudly. Something smacked onto Michael’s face and he screamed as it started to burn. He dropped his gun and fell as he went blind. He felt the animal leaping onto his chest and a pair of jaws closing on his head.

The other men ran, leaving Michael behind. Whatever they had been expecting, this wasn’t it.

All around them, the bushes shook and animals hooted. The mercenaries shot occasional bursts into the foliage, but didn’t seem to hit anything.

Vargas and Linares heard Garza, who was the slowest, start to scream as something tackled him to the ground. But they didn’t look back.

Up ahead was the helicopter. Linares climbed in and was about to take off… when something black hit the windshield.

Vargas saw the creatures standing at the edge of the jungle. He shot a few rounds at them and the animals vanished from view. But the dilophosaurs were still there, out of sight, watching…

Vargas jumped into the chopper as Linares started the engine. The propellers began to rotate, slowly at first, gradually picking up speed. Vargas slammed the door shut. Catching his breath, he heard the monsters outside pounding on the sides of the helicopter.The chopper slowly began to gain altitude, till it was soaring high above the treetops once more. But this time, they were two men short. "Get us back to HQ," Vargas said. "We have to report to Ludlow." [...]"How much longer do you want to sit in this hole?" Harding asked. Edgar stood up and poked his head through the hole. He looked around for a moment before dropping back down. "Coast is clear. If you're all ready, we can go." Everyone climbed out, one by one. Yoder was the last to go. Grant offered him his hand and he took it. He gave Grant a little nod of thanks. "What do we do now?" Ellie asked."Go back to the visitor center?" Edgar suggested. "Call for help?""I don't like it. That place is swarming with Troodon. Not to mention, Laura is on the loose," Wu stated. "Fine. Then where should we go?" "Why not the security bunker?" Grant suggested, but as soon as he did, Wu's eyes widened with fear."Henry? What's wrong?"Wu took a deep breath, seemed to regain his composure. "Nothing," he murmured. "Never mind.""Alright then," Edgar said with a suspicious glance at Wu. "If there are no objections... Grant, will you lead the way?" "I think you better do it," Grant told Harding. "You know the layout of this place a lot better than I do."Harding nodded. "Okay. Everyone follow me."

George Lawala once knew and respected a man who was a tracking guide in Africa. That man was named Robert Muldoon. They started out as rivals and they had their disagreements, but when Muldoon was attacked by a lion, Lawala didn't hesitate to rescue him. From that day forward Lawala and Muldoon regarded each other as blood brothers.

Lawala wasn't on Isla Nublar for the money. When the survivors of the Isla Nublar Incident landed in Costa Rica, Robert Muldoon was not with them. Lawala was on Isla Nublar to avenge Muldoon. He didn't need the others. They would only get in the way. And it was better this way. One man versus every damn dinosaur on this island. Lawala wouldn't stop until his revenge was complete. And nothing was going to stand in his way.

Gathering up his weapons, Lawala headed into the jungle ready to face whatever was out there waiting for him...

Arnold ran, following the children's screams through a network of confusing alleyways. He hoped with all his might that he wouldn't be too late. He turned a corner. A building loomed up in front of him. "Dead end," he panted.Trey and Gutierrez came up behind him. "Come on. Back this way," Trey said. Arnold had a feeling they were getting closer as the kids' screams were becoming louder and he could now hear the vicious snarling of a velociraptor. Suddenly, several booming gunshots ripped through the air. The kids stopped screaming and the raptor was silent. Either, someone had shot the thing, or it had succeeded in killing Tim and Lex. Arnold sincerely hoped it was the former.He turned a corner and came face to face with a local man holding a rifle. Tim and Lex were alive and unharmed. On the ground lay the velociraptor's motionless corpse. The local man turned to look at the newcomers. "¿Qué es esa cosa?" he said. "Era sólo un lagarto," Gutierrez answered. The local man shook his head in disbelief. "Are you two okay?" Trey asked Hammond's grandkids. Tim nodded, but he was shaking. Lex appeared to be in shock. "Come on. Let's get out of here," Arnold said. He nodded to the local man. "Thank you for saving them."Guiterrez translated his words in Spanish. The local man gave a firm nod.They started heading back to the hotel. Trey picked Lex up and carried her. Guiterrez slowed his pace to match Arnold's limp."Your foot okay?" he asked."Yeah, I just landed on it funny." There was a brief pause. Then Guiterrez said "On the bright side, I think I now know what it was you were doing on that island. My question now is, how did you do it?" "Ludlow can fill you in on the details, I'm sure," Arnold said not really in the mood to talk. "So those things escaped and are loose on the mainland." Guiterrez shook his head. "No offence, but you've really screwed things up." "Hey buddy, I'm just a mechanic. You want someone to yell at, Henry Wu's always available," Arnold said. "But he isn't here. He went back to that island.""Yes, he did. So you may not get your chance to yell at him, after all."

They then heard something. A shriek. The men looked up and saw a winged shape blocking out the sun. The shape was joined by several other bat-like creatures that were circling overhead. Arnold recognized them and his eyes widened in fear.

"Everyone get inside," he shouted. "Now!"

-

Vargas was looking over the jungle, wondering what else was out there. They were about to pass by the village the survivors were being held in. Vargas then spotted something. Black shapes heading toward them.

Vargas squinted. Were they birds? No... too big.

One of the shapes whistled and dove toward the helicopter. Vargas let out a shout as the dactyls began harassing the helicopter, which Linares was already having trouble flying because of the black spit on the windshield.

-

Malcolm had just finished his story when he heard something. It sounded like a helicopter. And there was something else. Whistling.

Too late. Something smashed against the window and the girls screamed, backing away. A dactyl shrieked as it struck the glass, spying the people inside the building. Letting out a cry, it flew back up to join the others in the deadly game they were playing with the helicopter struggling overhead.

"Was that a dinosaur?" Kelly asked, frightened.

"Or a creature similar to one," Malcolm answered, looking at the cracked window. "They must have crossed the ocean..."

Dozens of the pterosaurs began swooping and circling around the village letting out mournful cries.The villagers stepped outside, many of them wielding rifles, proceeding to fire upon the humongous pests. A dactyl dove close to the ground and a second later a woman let out a shriek as she was yanked into the sky. It was chaos.

[...]

Arnold, Trey, Guiterrez, and the children followed a flock of people into one of the many bars scattered around town. Arnold stayed by the window, looking up at the dactyls. It was like a scene from a monster movie. Arnold wished that were the case. There were a few locals in the bar and they were whispering and murmuring together in Spanish. Arnold caught a couple of dirty looks thrown his way. He wasn't sure why, whether it was because of his race or the fact that he was American or something else entirely. He tried his best to ignore them."They're asking what those things are," Guiterrez told him. "Oh," Arnold said. "Tell them they're called Pterosaurs." Guiterrez did so. The locals became even more agitated. "Now they want to know what a Pterosaur is," Guiterrez said.Arnold shook his head. It'd be too difficult to explain. "They really want to know," Guiterrez pressed. Indeed, it seemed the locals were becoming more and more upset by the minute. They couldn't understand why Arnold would withhold the information from them. But Arnold didn't know how on earth he could make them understand. Suddenly, two of the biggest men there ran forward and grabbed Arnold roughly, pushing him up against the glass. They began shouting in broken English, right in his face. "What is? What is?! What is?!?" Guiterrez was there trying to calm them down but nothing he said seemed to work. Eventually, he put a hand on one of the men's shoulders which got him a punch in the jaw. Then one of the women began talking in a calm voice. Arnold didn't understand what she was saying, but he got the gist of it. Whatever she said seemed to do the trick as the men eventually backed off and Arnold was allowed to help Guiterrez up. "You okay?" he asked, his voice a bit tremulous. Guiterrez nodded, his face red. A bruise was forming under his eye. "I think we better get out of here," he said.

[...]

Harding continued to lead the way down the little gravel path toward the security bunker. He couldn't believe it had only been a couple of days since he was last here. What's more, he couldn't believe that he was back. The bunker came into view through the fog. And it looked just as bad as it did when Harding last saw it. The sides were scuffed up and the bars in the windows were torn through where the raptors had tried to get in. To the right, there was a shallow pit that had recently been dug up. Upon closer inspection, Harding saw dried blood, scraps of clothing, a few bones, and bits of ragged flesh scattered around the pit. "What was that for?" Yoder questioned. "It was a grave," Ellie said. "A grave for one of the men who died here." "And something dug it up?" "Yeah." There was a grim silence. "Come on," Harding said, wanting to move on. The door had been broken off its hinges and left lying on the floor. Inside, shelves were knocked over and foodstuffs and weapons were strewn around the place. Pools of dried blood were scattered around the room, but much of it had been licked up by dinosaurs. "So where's the phone?" Edgar asked. Harding went to the back and found the telephone where it had been before. He picked it up, but all he heard was static."What the heck? I don't understand. I thought we had power." "What? What's wrong?" "It's just static. See?" Grant took the phone from him and put it to his ear. "Oh, great. Well, what now?" "I guess we have to go back to the visitor center," Ellie said. "No. I won't go back there." "It's okay, Gerry, we'll be fine." "You don't know that." "Gerry, it's the only way." That was Edgar, and he sounded exasperated, like he was dealing with a whiny child. "We have to call for help and the visitor center is the only place besides this one that-""I am not going back to that place!" Harding screamed. "You don't know what it's like. None of you do except Grant and Ellie and me. To be hunted by those things in the dark. To see those eyes shining at you. Look what it did to me! I'm nuts, man. I'm losing my mind. I can feel it. I can't sleep; whenever I close my eyes I see those eyes! I hear the clicks in my head. No. No. I won't go back. You remember what happened to Muldoon, my friend? He got snatched up by those things. Pulled into a dark room somewhere and got his guts ripped out. They laid EGG in his GUTS!"Raging, Harding turned his gaze onto Wu and shoved an accusing finger at him. "Because of YOU! All because of YOU!" "Gerry, let's go outside for a minute," Grant said. Harding was trembling. He tried to still the shakes in his arms, but couldn't do it. He followed Grant outside. "I understand what you're going through," Grant said. "I do. I'm scared as well. And we're doing our best. Doing our best to get out of here. But we need a phone Gerry. We need a phone. Listen to me Gerry. I'm so sorry about what happened to Muldoon. But I can promise you it won't happen to you, or anyone else. We're going to stay close together and not let anything happen. Okay? Those things only go after people who are by themselves, and we're in a big group, so they'll leave us alone. Got it?"

[...]

Wu was beginning to seriously regret bringing Harding along for this mission. Now both he and Grant had laid the blame for the deaths on him. That wasn't fair; Wu was only partially responsible. If they wanted to point the blame at someone, you need look no further than Hammond. After all, it was his money that bought these creatures. But it wasn't quite as satisfying to blame a dead person. "We need to keep an eye on that man," Wu told Edgar. "I think he's losing it." Edgar nodded. "Don't worry. He tries anything, I'll deal with him." "What do you mean, deal with?" "I mean whatever is required to ensure that he doesn't pose a danger to the group," Edgar said evasively. "Alright. Just don't kill him if you can help it."

Grant and Harding walked back in. Harding looked calmer but it was a far cry from normal. "If there are no more problems, I think we should move on," Morales said. With that, everyone let the building.

Leaving the bar, Arnold, Trey, Guiterrez, and the children managed to make it back to the hospital. Luckily for them, the dactyls were distracted by the struggling helicopter.

“I hate being right all the time,” Malcolm said, looking around at his crowded hospital room.

“No you don’t,” Arnold told him as he paced. “You love the sound of your own voice.”

“I can promise you that I’m not enjoying this,” Malcolm argued. “Because I recognize the danger that we’ve all been put in.”

“How?” Arnold asked. “How are their dinosaurs on the mainland? How did so many escape the island?”

“Well, you had a way of keeping track of the population, I assume.”

“Yes. The motion sensors.”

“And the computers took for a number of animals you put into the system?”

“Yes.”

“And it only looks for that amount every time? You can put in any number?”

“What’s your point?”

“The flaw is that you were always worried about having less animals than you expected, in case some escaped or died. You weren’t worried about having more animals, so the computers never counted the extras born in the wild, since it only counted up to the number you previously programmed.”

Arnold realized that this was true. But it was still Wu’s fault that the dinosaurs had been secretly breeding to begin with.

“Did you have a rodent problem when you came to the island?” Malcolm asked.

Arnold nodded.

“Did the problem go away by itself?”

Arnold nodded again, realizing what Malcolm was implying.

“And you never looked into why?”

“We thought-”

“That’s what the carnivores born in the wild ate. They took care of your pest problem. And I’m betting that they migrated to the Costa Rican mainland on supply ships. The small carnivores like the compys or the raptors could stowaway in the cargo hold unnoticed during the voyage.”

Arnold remembered the raptors he saw on the beach. He remembered Grant saying that they wanted to migrate. “But how did we never notice what was going on in our own park?”

“Did you ever go into the park yourself, Arnold? No. You ruled from the control room. You people were like the king who never leaves his throne, never learning of the conspiracy going on in his kingdom until it was too late. Your overconfidence in your ability to control these animals was the park’s downfall. Nedry only sped up the process.”

“So the whole thing was doomed to fail?” Trey asked.

Malcolm nodded. “Hammond’s project had all the problems of a major theme park and a major zoo. Then there were problems nobody had even dealt with, since these are creatures with unpredictable behaviors who had no idea what century they were in. You never had control. That was an illusion.”

“And what happens now?” Arnold wanted to know.

“The predator population on Isla Nublar rose to unsafe levels,” Malcolm explained. “So the animals sought to expand their territories, which is why they came here. Dinosaurs had already had their chance and nature chose them for extinction. But you gave them a second chance and placed them in an ecosystem where they had no natural enemies. They’re figuring out their place in the food chain and if left unchecked or unchallenged nothing will stop them from spreading everywhere.”

“They could destroy the planet,” Arnold realized.

Malcolm shook his head. “No. The planet is not at risk. We are. These creatures came before us. And if we’re not careful, they’ll be here after us…”

-

Linares was trying his best, but there were too many of them. The glass windshield started to shatter and several dactyls got caught in the helicopter's blades. They were going down.

Vargas pulled Linares out of his seat. "We have to jump!"

Before Linares could argue, Vargas leaped out of the helicopter, pulling Linares with him. Behind them, the helicopter struck the village's docks and exploded into a fireball. Vargas and Linares hit the water safely.

Dodgson's group trudged their way up the steep jungle incline. Dodgson was sweating buckets and he could tell the others were doing just as bad, but he refused to stop for a break, despite multiple requests for one. Dodgson's reasoning was that they were far too exposed out here and needed to find shelter as soon as possible. Surely, the park itself would be safe. Right now, he kind of wished he had agreed to stay and find Lawala. The man was expertly trained and knew his business, unlike most everyone else in Dodgson's party. Soon, it became evident that people would start passing out if they didn't stop for a rest. "Fine," Dodgson told them, "but only for ten minutes." But the second Dodgson sat down, he realized that time would have to be extended greatly. After countless minutes of trekking up that hill, blistering his feet, it felt so good to finally sit down and take a breather. "This might be a good time to take inventory," Sonya said. Dodgson agreed. In total, they had three packs. King's, Sarah's, and Sonya's. All the others had been lost in the sea. The packs contained the necessities: bottled water, food, first-aid, flashlights, lighters, matches, what have you. King divided the food six equal ways and distributed it to every member of their party. "We have to ration it," King said when Dodgson looked disdainfully at the pathetically small amount of food he'd been given. "We could be out here a while." Dodgson wolfed his food down like he'd never eat again, which, he considered, might in fact be the case. "What do we have in terms of weapons?" Raul asked. Those who had them laid their weapons out on the ground. Two rifles. Sarah had a machete, but that was it. Two guns and a machete. It was decided that Sonya and Dodgson would have the guns, Sonya because she was the most experienced, and Dodgson because he insisted on it. He claimed to have lots of experience, but in truth he didn't remember ever firing one in his life. Still, better to go with one than without one. "I think we better move on now," Sarah said. Dodgson nodded and made an effort to be the first one to stand, proving to the others that he was a strong and capable leader. "Alright. Let's go," he said.

They continued making their way through the jungle, ears and eyes alert for anything unusual. They were trespassers, unwelcome on this island. Everyone was paranoid, remembering the tylosaur that had so quickly killed two of their group members and how it had come out of nowhere.

Dodgson froze and rose his hand, signaling the others to stop. "Shh..."

Everybody stopped and they listened. At first, they heard nothing. Then they caught it. The sound of footsteps coming closer.

"Get your gun ready," he whispered to Sonya. She nodded.

Dodgson slowly began moving forward, the others trailing behind. His hands tightened on the gun. They stepped out of the trees and onto a path. Up ahead, figures were materializing out of the fog. People. Armed people.

When the other group saw Dodgson's party, they paused. For a moment nobody did anything. Then a voice broke the silence.

Okay Spinosaur, but if you feel like giving it a try, please feel free.

Edgar and the mercenaries pointed their guns at Dodgson and his group.Sonya raised her rifle as well, finger on the trigger. "Put it down," Oscar barked. Sonya ignored him. "I said put it down!" Oscar roared. He had a very commanding voice. "I'd suggest doing what he says," Edgar advised. "We can talk this out, but not with guns in our faces." Slowly, Sonya lowered her rifle. "Ah, doctor Dodgson," Henry Wu said, aloof. "I see you managed to sneak your way here. Congratulations, you've been caught red-handed in the act. Seems the game's finally up, eh?" "Don't be so certain," Dodgson warned in a quiet, threatening voice. "We're not done here yet." "Oh, I think you are. Edgar - detain them, will you?" Wu said.Edgar, Yoder and Oscar strode forward and quickly handcuffed Dodgson and his team members except for Sarah. Harding hugged his oldest daughter and then said "What are you doing here? And what are you doing with them?""They lied and told me they were part of a research team. I went along, but I had no idea what was really going on here," Sarah told him. "I'm just glad you made it this far," Harding said. Then his eyes fell on Atlanta."You brought HER?" "She snuck on board," Sarah explained. "Why?" Harding asked."Because, I want to know what happened to my mother," Atlanta told him. "What REALLY happened.""I'll tell you everything once we get off this island," Harding promised her. "We can't leave yet," Henry Wu interjected. "What about my research?" "Forget your stupid research. We have to get out of here while we still can." "Respectfully Mr. Harding, I'm not leaving here without it." "Then where is it?" Sarah asked. "I lost it while running away from a T-Rex," Wu admitted. "It's in the forest somewhere, in a knapsack." Billy Yoder stepped forward. "That's all well and good, but I don't think it's such a good idea to stand out here in the open like this. Finish your conversation inside, alright?""Very well," Edgar said. He jostled Dodgson forward; "Move it, and don't try anything funny. I've got my eye on you." "And your hand as well," Dodgson jibbed. Edgar cuffed him.

"Let's go inside, shall we?" Edgar said. They hurried as fast as they could to the visitor center. Grant pushed open the big front doors. Inside, the place was a wreck, but at least it had light. No need to worry about Troodon in this place. "Are we safe in here?" Raul asked. "I wouldn't count on it," Edgar told him. "We had a run-in with the princess earlier. She had no troubles breaking her way in here.""Then let's move on," Sarah suggested. Harding hung back. "Not a good idea to go too far in," he said. "That's where THEY are." Edgar frowned at him. "I don't see we have much of a choice. Don't worry; we'll stick together." The mercenaries, shepherding Dodgson's cronies, led the way deeper and deeper into the complex. "I think we should go to the control room," Grant said."No. It's not safe there. The Troodon have already gotten in there twice," Ellie told him. "Ah, but that was when it was dark. Now we have light!" Wu reminded her. "We can't go in there. That's where Muldoon is," Harding murmured. Edgar sighed heavily. "Can you just make up your minds?""Fine. Listen: we're going to the control room. Anyone who doesn't agree can stay here." Wu said, and began promptly striding down the hall. After a moment the others followed. Wu opened the door that led to the control room and everyone went inside. Except for Harding. He lingered at the door, looking at the ground. Sarah looked back at him. "What's wrong?" Harding couldn't find the words. "Just look," he said.Sarah looked. While everyone was getting settled in, no-one seemed to acknowledge the pile of ferns and leaves and straw in the far corner. Sarah hesitantly approached it. She gasped. There was a man in there. He was dead. "What happened to him?" Sarah whispered, horrified. "The Troodon got him," Grant said grimly. "And laid eggs in his stomach." "WHAT?" "That's what they do. They're like those spider wasps that lay eggs in their victims, so that when the eggs hatch-" "I get it!" Someone whimpered. It was Dodgson. All the colour had drained from his face. "And those things are in this building?!" he shrieked.Wu nodded aloofly. "That's right. So why don't you zip it before you draw them right to us?" "Where's the phone?" Edgar said, his voice tense. Clearly, he'd been put off by the grim realization. "Let's just make the call and get the heck out of here." Wu found one sitting on the desk and picked it up. He put it to his ear. "It's working." He handed it off to Edgar. Edgar got in touch with the military and requested an evac team come in. There was nothing for the others to do but wait. "Do you think the T-Rex followed us here?" Oscar asked Grant. "I don't know. She has a remarkable sense of smell. I'd say, more than likely," Grant told him.Edgar hung up the phone. "They're on their way. But it's going to be a few hours at best." "Okay. What do we do in the meantime?" "Lay low I guess. Try not to get eaten." Edgar shot a glance at Muldoon's corpse."This is good." Startled, everyone looked at the person who had said those words: Wu. "I mean... it's good that we have some time to get my research," Wu explained hastily."You're still worried about that?" Yoder asked. "Of course I am. Don't want it falling into the wrong hands." He shot Dodgson a look. Dodgson just smiled. "But you lost your research. It's out there in the forest somewhere," Edgar reminded him. "Yes. We have to go find it." Edgar smiled mockingly. "You're on your own then." Wu put his hands on his hips like a pouty child. "That's the whole reason we came, isn't it?""Yes, and we lost a man in the process." "That's irrelevant. I'm sorry for your loss, yes, but the mission is still the same." "No it's not. We have no idea what we're up against." Wu wasn't done yet though. "It's too valuable to leave behind!""More valuable than human life?" Edgar asked.Wu hesitated. "Of course... not. Of course not. But-" "But nothing. Forget the research. The mission now is to just get off this island alive. None of us is going anywhere," Edgar said.And just like that, the lights flickered and went out.

[...]

In the maintenance shed, Laura Sorkin smiled as she smashed the power grid to smithereens with a sledge hammer. A good job the sledge hammer had been there; otherwise, she didn't know what she would have done.Sparks flew off the grid as she brought the hammer down again and again until it was reduced to nothing but rubble. Panting, she threw the hammer aside and stepped back to admire her handiwork. Was this a good idea? Probably not. One thing it would do, though, is buy her more time to figure out a way to ruin Henry Wu's carrier. Wu and his group would be too terrified to leave the visitor center now. That gave Sorkin time to work out her next move.

Vargas then remembered something. "Wait... does this place have a phone?"

Dr. Carter nodded and told him where. Vargas rushed to the phone and tried calling Ludlow. He was disappointed.

"What the hell?" he swore. "The phones are out! They won't work!"

The hospital lights flickered and went out. Vargas heard patients and staff cry out in surprise. The village's power grid was down. They were cut off from the rest of the world. No communication. No electricity.

Malcolm blinked in surprise as the lights in his room went out. "What's going on?" he heard Kelly say. "Just a minute," Jessica said. She walked to the door and opened it. "Lights are out here, too." "They're out all over the building," Malcolm sighed. "We best prepare for the worst.""What do you mean?" Kelly asked. "I mean someone better lock the doors and seal the windows while they still can." He heard footsteps running out. "Who was that?" "I think it was Jess," Kelly told him."Where's she going?""To help, I guess." Malcolm reached out to his daughter. "Come here." She came and sat next to him. "Whatever happens, I'll watch over you," he promised.

[...]

Arnold felt himself being jostled around in the darkness by both patients and staff as they ran this way and that. One panicked individual knocked him so hard that he fell down. His glasses flew off his face. He felt along the floor for them. Someone stepped on his hand. Someone else kneed him in the face. Forget the glasses, he told himself and stood up. Not like glasses would be much use in this situation anyway. Suddenly, a beam of light cut through the darkness. A flashlight. Arnold made his way towards it, disoriented now without his glasses. A maid was directing people to a safe room. Arnold followed with them, wondering where the kids and Trey and Guiterrez had gone. Surely, they'd make their way here as soon as they could.

[...]

Trey turned on his flashlight and shone it around. "Where's Arnold?" Guiterrez looked around. "He must have gotten pulled into the crowd," he said. Trey looked at Tim and Lex. "We better get them someplace safe." "Agreed," Guiterrez nodded. "Go with the crowd. I think they're being led to a safe room." "Where are you going?" Tim asked. "To help fortify this place," Guiterrez said.

There was a shuffling sound as if someone were scuffling around in the darkness. Then, Grant was knocked to the ground as someone ran past him. Edgar cried out "Stop them!" But before anything could be done, Dodgson and King had escaped. Yoder pulled out a flashlight and shone it around. "Those suckers," he said."Quick!" Edgar said, running forward, "we can still catch them. Oscar! Come with me. Yoder, stay here." Oscar hurried to follow Edgar out while the rest of them watched them go. "Here." Grant realized Yoder was offering him something: a pistol. "Take it just in case these guys decide to try something too."Grant accepted the weapon. "Thanks." "Try something?" Sonya repeated. "Look at us. We're not going anywhere. Even if we could, I wouldn't go running off into the dark like that.""You have more sense than I thought," Yoder said admiringly. Ellie looked to the door. "Do you think Edgar needs help?" she wondered. "Yeah, I do. That's why he's got Oscar. That guy's built like a bull and has the attitude of one, too. Don't worry. Whatever happens, Oscar can handle it," Yoder said. "Besides, Edgar told us to stay here." "Yeah, but does he know what he's getting himself into?"

[...]

Edgar thundered down the hallway after Dodgson and King, Oscar right on his heels. The runaways weren't far ahead. Edgar knew they'd catch them. And when they did... A series of clicks rang through the air. It reminded Edgar of Morse code. But he knew it wasn't Morse code. It was those things- those Troodon- the ones that liked to lay eggs in your stomach. The thought of that gave Edgar pause. Suddenly, he wasn't so sure this was a good idea. What if those things caught them here in the dark? But he couldn't turn back now. Dodgson was too valuable a prisoner. Not to mention, he couldn't be seen retreating in front of Oscar Morales. Edgar turned a corner and found himself standing in the main lobby once more, only this time it was much darker. Not pitch-black though. Evening sunlight was allowed to come in through the windows, as well as the big, cavernous hole in the wall that the T-Rex had made. "Where'd those suckers go?" Edgar wondered. He could no longer hear their footsteps. "They're hiding," Oscar said, his voice deadly. More clicks rang through the ominous silence. "I'm not sure about this," Edgar told Oscar. "Maybe we should go back. Regroup. Assess the situation." But Oscar wouldn't be convinced so easily. He stalked forward, his shoulders hunched and his eyes fixed on the floor, as if he could see footprints in the smooth marble. "Morales..."Oscar put a finger in the air, silencing him. He brought his rifle to his shoulder in a single deft movement. A second later he fired, the sound deafeningly loud in Edgar's ears. Oscar let off a short burst and then stopped. "What'd you see?" Edgar asked."Something. Something there in the shadows. Thought it was a dinosaur." More clicks. Louder this time. Seemed to be coming from all around. "Let's get out of here!" Edgar said, almost begging. Oscar walked back- walked!- like there was nothing the matter. Then both he and Edgar turned and headed back the way they had come. "Too bad about the prisoners," Edgar said, forcing himself to remain cool, to match Oscar's steady, determined pace. "We'll find them," Oscar vowed. "It's a big island..." "Don't forget, Dodgson is after Wu's research." "Yeah. So?""You accidently let slip that Wu lost his research in the forest." "What? I did not." "Yes you did. No matter though. It'd be nigh on impossible for Dodgson to find that bag." Edgar thought of something. "Actually, maybe not.""What do you mean?""They might get some unexpected help.""From who?" "There's this woman. Laura Sorkin. She's Wu's arch-nemesis or something. Incidentally, she's after the same thing as Dodgson. The research, and ruining Wu's livelihood.""I see. Well, let's hope she doesn't find them."

Edgar screamed as something leaped onto him. His gun was knocked aside and all he could focus on was his attacker's eyes, which glowed in the dark like headlights. The creature hissed.

"Get the hell off him you damn lizard!" Oscar shouted. The creature was too close to Edgar and it was too dark to use his gun, so Oscar pulled out his knife and swung. The blade struck the side of the dinosaur's face, leaving a scar. The wounded animal, a Troodon alpha male bigger than the others in his pack, abandoned his prey and fled back into the shadows.

"Are you okay?" Oscar asked as he helped a relieved Edgar up. Edgar nodded, visibly shaking. He retrieved his gun.

"Thanks," he said, still trying to catch his break.

Oscar shrugged. "No problem. Let's go before that guy returns with his buddies."

-

Lewis Dodgson and Howard King were surprised to find a woman waiting for them, sitting in a jeep with a gun at her side. Dodgson didn't recognize the woman, but she recognized him.

"Lewis Dodgson," she nodded. "I'm Dr. Laura Sorkin. I have a proposition for you. Come with me if you want to live."

Exchanging a glance with King, Dodgson decided to do as the woman asked. As he and King climbed into the jeep, the tyrannosaur roared in the distance.

Edgar and Oscar made their way back to the rest of the group.Everyone looked at them expectantly, as if to ask, well? "They got away," Oscar said. Yoder looked disappointed. "How on earth?" "It was dark. Too dangerous to continue," Oscar explained. He was interrupted by a series of shrill clicks echoing through the long corridors. "Come on then," Edgar said, feeling the panic. "We should get out of here. The military will meet us on the beach. Let's go." "But wait!" Wu protested. "My research. Dodgson, if he's alive, will undoubtedly be looking for it. If he finds it, it's all over." "Forget the research," Edgar snapped. "Doesn't your life matter more to you than your stupid research?" "How many more lives will be lost as a result if Dodgson gets his hands on it?" Wu countered. "We don't have time to debate," Grant warned. But Wu wasn't backing down. "You have a mission, Edgar. You came here with a task. If you don't see it through, if your superiors, Ludlow, find out that you abandoned the mission because you were afraid... what do you think's going to happen to you? You'll be fired at best. And worst..." "My job? My job isn't going to matter jack squat if I die," Edgar seethed. He looked around at the rest of the group. "Come on. Do you want to live? Or do you want to spend the next few hours combing the woods for a knapsack?" Grant cleared his throat. "I hate to agree with doctor Wu, but now that we're here, we might as well retrieve the research. Otherwise, D-Caf's death would have been in vain." That hit hard; Grant could see it on Edgar's face. The man frowned, his face like a storm cloud. Then he turned to Oscar and Yoder. "What do you two think?" The men glanced at each other. Then Yoder shrugged. "I'm with you, whatever you decide to do." Oscar nodded. "That makes two of us." Edgar contemplated this for several moments, then threw his hands into the air: "Fine. Let's find the dumb knapsack." Everyone got ready to go. Yoder and Morales jostled the prisoners, Raul and Sonya, to the door. "Hey Oscar," Yoder said, "if we run into trouble, these guys could make some good bait." Obviously he was joking... or at least, Edgar thought he was.Everyone started walking down the hallway. "We should get a car," Wu suggested."Okay. But it'll be pitch black in the garage," Grant reminded him. "That's fine. We have flashlights." "That didn't stop them before," Ellie said. "We'll just have to hope for the best, then."

[...]

"So what's your proposition?" Lewis Dodgson asked Laura Sorkin. Sorkin glanced at him. "I've heard a lot about you, doctor. Your methods for success are... unorthodox. Actually, let's be honest: you're a liar and a thief, and I hate that I'm even suggesting we work together, but I think that in the long run, it will be worth it for both of us." "Just tell me your plan," Dodgson insisted. "We find Wu's research. We get off this island. We go back to the mainland, and we show the world what kind of a man Henry Wu really is. Before meeting you, I had no idea how I was going to pull it off on my own. But you're an influential man, aren't you, Lewis? You can help me. And if you do, you can keep the research." "I can do all that without you, though," Dodgson said. "Ah, yes you could. But I reckon your chances of making it off this island are close to nil without someone to guide you.""You'd be surprised. This isn't the worst scrape I've gotten myself into," Dodgson said. "Right, Howard?""I'm sure it's not. But there's one last thing. If you don't help me, I can guarantee you won't be making it off this island alive." She casually aimed her gun at him. Dodgson looked from the gun to her face and back again. And then he smiled."Mrs. Sorkin, I believe we have a deal."

Linares' injuries had been treated and he was now laying back in a hospital bed. For now he was alone in his room. The lights had gone out and Linares had heard people shouting in the hallways, but now things were quiet as the last light went away outside.

Then Linares heard something. The door handle to his room moving. The door being pushed open. Something stepping inside his room. It was dark, but Linares could make out a pair of eyes looking at him. The animal made a clicking sound and several other pairs of eyes appeared, entering the room.

Linares panicked and looked around for anything that he could use as a weapon. Nothing.

The creatures got closer.

"Help!" Linares screamed. "Vargas! Anybody! Help!"

Linares heard no reply. Only clicking. Linares began to get up, but fell back into his bed. It was too painful to move.

Linares prayed for somebody to come for him, but it was too late.

Linares began to scream as the Troodon leaped onto his bed and jaws closed around his skull. The other Troodon joined in until Linares' screams died out.

Linares would be the first casualty of the night. But he wouldn't be the last.

Guiterrez had heard the screams and had dropped what he was doing - helping board up the windows - and ran down the hallway toward the source of the cries. When he get within a few feet of the room where he thought the screams were coming from, he stopped and listened. The screams had stopped, and in their place, only the crunching and snapping of bones. Whoever that had been, it was too late to save them.Gutierrez's first instinct was to run as fast as he could in the opposite direction. But he knew he had a chance to prevent more lives from being lost.Cautiously and quietly, he pushed the door open a couple of centimeters. Then he reached his hand inside and felt for the knob. He found it. He felt for the lock. Found that as well. He turned the lock. It clicked. He paused for a moment to listen if the sound had attracted whatever-was-in-there's attention. Not so. Just the sickening snapping of bones. Guiterrez began to draw his hand out-And that was when the jaws closed around his fingers.

[...]

The Troodon pack dashed down the hallways, their keen eyesight illuminating everything. Nothing was beyond their sight; nothing was safe. The delicious two-legged animals ran from them in terror. It was as if the Troodon pack was savoring their prey's fear. The lead Troodon jumped and brought down a man and quickly broke his neck. Several people ran away in fear. While the lead Troodon enjoyed his meal, the rest of his pack members carried on the chase.No, there was nothing that could stop them.

[...]

Inside the safe room, Tim covered his ears against the horrible sound of people screaming for their lives. Beside him, Lex was letting out choked sobs. Trey huddled them protectively. There was a frantic pounding on the door. The doctor in charge opened it and two more people came inside. The doctor quickly closed and locked the door again. He was speaking in soft Spanish. Trey couldn't understand what he was saying, but from the gentle calmness in his voice, he could tell he was trying to comfort them. There was a brief silence in the carnage, and for a moment Trey almost thought maybe it was all over. But then another scream cut the fragile silence; and the voice, Trey realized, belonged to Guiterrez.

Vargas heard the screams and was rushing to help... when something bit down on his arm.

Vargas screamed in pain and saw that a creature with glowing eyes was attacking him. Vargas punched one of the creature's eyes and the thing released him, fleeing into the darkness.

Vargas clutched his arm, checking the wound. The bite had definitely broken through his skin. Luckily, he was in a hospital, so he could probably get it taken care of in no time at-

Vargas fell on his knees, clutching his head. It hurt. His vision blurred, he found it difficult to think or focus. He began to hallucinate...

-

The group entered the garage, but found only disappointment.

All the cars had holes in their tires and the air had left them.

"Laura," Wu realized at once. "This is her doing."

"She must really hate you," Yoder commented, looking at the damage.

Wu shook his head. "You have no idea..."

-

Malcolm hugged his shaking daughter tightly.

"What's going on out there?" Kelly asked, terrified.

"We're safe in here," Malcolm promised. "They can't get in here." He didn't believe that for a moment, but he was trying to comfort her.

"I shouldn't have come," Kelly whimpered. "God, I was so stupid. I should have listened to you. I should have stayed with Karen."

"We're going to be alright. I won't let anything happen to you." That was honest. Malcolm wasn't going to let anything happen to his Kelly and would protect her with his final breath. He was also worried about Jess and hoped that she was safe, though it was likely. They were all in great danger.

Sorkin's Jeep pulled up in front of the forest. "Let's go," she told the two men with her.King got out, but Dodgson stayed where he was. "We're looking for a knapsack in all THAT?" he said.Sorkin tottered her gun. "Yes, that's exactly what we're doing." Dodgson shook his head. "We'll never find it in there." "We're going to try." Sorkin motioned for him to get out of the Jeep. But Dodgson wasn't budging. "Not to mention it's getting late. I don't like the idea of crawling around there in the dead of-" "You have one of two choices doctor Dodgson," Sorkin interrupted. "A, you come with me and find the sack. Or B, I shoot you and leave you for the Troodon to find." Dodgson's eyes widened for just a moment, then he regained composure. "Fine," he snarled, climbing out of the Jeep. "Now," Sorkin continued brusquely, "let's begin. Here, take a flashlight." She handed both men a flashlight each, and flares. "The dinosaurs are scared of fire," she told them. "Good to know," King said. Sorkin, King and Dodgson entered the woods.

Jess turned around a corner and saw several Troodon eating something. No, eating someone. She felt her blood freeze as the Troodon noticed her and turned their eyes on her. God, they were creepy.

Jess opened her mouth to scream, but no sound came out. Snapping to her senses, she turned around and ran. She didn't look back, but she heard clicking sounds as the Troodon chased after her.

Up ahead, she saw a figure in the dark. A man.

"Jess, get behind me."

Something lit up the darkness. A flare. The man's features were clearer and Jess recognized him. Ray Arnold.

Standing behind him, Jess saw the pursuing Troodon halt, backing away from the flare. Hissing, they came no closer.

"The flare!" Jess realized. "They can't stand the flare!"

Arnold nodded and handed Jess another flare. He was carrying several of them.

-

Bobbie Carter was with the patient who had been bitten earlier that day by a Troodon. The man was in a deep slumber and had no idea of the nightmare that was taking over the hospital.

While everyone had rushed to a safe room, Bobbie refused to leave her patient behind. Her paramedic Manuel had stayed with her. They listened to the distant screams and clicks. Both of them had guns, but Bobbie had never fired one before. Neither had Manuel, so Bobbie wasn't confident in their abilities to fight off the Troodon.

The clicking sounded like it was getting closer. Bobbie's grip tightened as she watched the door. She was sweating nervously.

Something was scratching on the door. But Bobbie did nothing. She just waited.

Guiterrez struggled against the strength of the unseen predator latched onto his hand. The pain was excruciating, but the pure will to live lent a strength to Guiterrez that he wouldn't have possessed under normal circumstances. He pulled with all his might, until eventually the Troodon released his hand, taking a layer of skin with it. Guiterrez fell backward, clutching his wrist, screaming. The door swung open, banging into his knee. He kicked it back and pushed with all his might against it, trying to keep the monsters in. It was hopeless. Now two of the creatures were throwing themselves at the door. Their combined strength was just too much for Guiterrez. He braced himself for the end.Suddenly, footsteps. Guiterrez turned. A man was running toward him, followed by a shorter person. The first person was carrying a flare. He tossed the flare at Guiterrez, shouting - what was he saying? Gutierrez's name? He didn't know. All he knew was that the man was trying to help him. Guiterrez grabbed the flare and clutched it tight. One of the Troodon was sticking its snout through the door crack. Guiterrez jabbed it with the flare. The monster hissed and recoiled, allowing Gutierrez to shut the door, locking them in. His vision failing, Guiterrez collapsed on the floor, panting breathlessly. The man who had thrown him the flare was by his side, along with the girl. Guiterrez realized who they were, and he allowed himself to be carried away by them as he finally succumbed to unconsciousness.

[...]

Hundreds of miles away, a scared group of people huddled in a darkened garage. "There's only once choice now," Henry Wu was saying. "Yeah. We get ourselves the heck to the beach," Edgar interjected. Henry shook his head. "No, we must find the bag." "But it's getting dark out!" Edgar pointed out the window. The sun was setting, casting brilliant orange light on the park. "I see that. But Dodgson is already probably looking for the bag. We can't let him find it." "Let's wait until tomorrow. When it's light out," Grant suggested."But Dodgson will find it before then," Wu said. "So be it." Grant's face was impassive. "It's not worth risking our lives over." Wu seemed desperate. "But just think of the destruction he will cause if he gets his hand on my research!" "Don't worry. We'll find some other way to stop him," Sarah told him. Wu shook his head. "Dodgson is nothing if not determined. Mark my words, if he escapes with my research, he will wreak havoc on the world."

Arnold and Jess took Guiterrez to one of the safe rooms where survivors were hiding out, huddled in frightened groups. One of the nurses there, Elena, knew Guiterrez and offered to take care of him. Arnold handed out several flares.

"The creatures can't stand the light," Arnold explained. "Use the flares to hold them back."

The door to the room slowly opened and a Troodon stood in the doorframe. Bobbie froze up, but Manuel took aim and fired. He missed.

The Troodon leaped onto Manuel and Bobbie heard him scream. Another Troodon entered the room and began creeping toward Bobbie. She snapped back to reality and fired, wounding the Troodon. She kept shooting.

She fired upon the Troodon that was attacking Manuel. The bullet penetrated the side of its neck. It hissed and looked up from Manuel, jaws bloodied. Carter fired again, this time the bullet penetrated the monster's skull. It slumped over on top of Manuel.Carter pushed it off and looked at Manuel. The young man was dead. Carter closed her eyes and allowed herself a moment to grieve. Then she stood up again. She closed the door and pushed a table in front of it. That should hold them - for a while, at least.

[...]

Most of the carnage was taking place far away from Malcolm's room. But then Malcolm heard something. Slow, deliberate footsteps - and sniffing. Malcolm dared not breath. He held Kelly's hand. She was trembling and bordering on tears. Malcolm squeezed her hand reassuringly. If we're quiet, it'll pass. The footsteps got closer and closer. The creature began sniffing under the door. It knows we're in here, Malcolm thought.

Grant never thought that he would be in his room in the Isla Nublar safari lodge again. But he and the others agreed that it was too dangerous to travel in the dark, so they decided to spend the night in the safari lodge, taking turns keeping watch while the others slept. They weren't completely out of danger, but the safari lodge was probably the safest building on the island right now.

Grant sighed and fell onto his bed, exhausted. He heard the door to his room open and he looked up to see Ellie walk in.

"It's not safe to be alone," Ellie told Grant. "Edgar is having everyone share rooms."

"I'm not complaining," Grant shrugged. "I'm just glad we could have a few hours without something trying to eat us."

Ellie climbed into bed with Grant and snuggled up close to him. "Whatever happens, I'm just glad we're together this time."

"And at least Tim, Lex, Malcolm, and the others are safe on the mainland," Grant added. "They're much better off than we are."

"After this I don't think I'll ever look at fossils the same way again."

"Well, when something tries to kill you it changes the way you see it."

"What if the dinosaurs get off the island?"

"I don't know," Grant said honestly. "Dinosaurs and man. Two species separated by millions of evolution. How can we possibly have any idea what to expect?"

Ellie kissed Grant. "We'll find a way. We always do."

"Good night, Ellie."

"Good night, Alan."

The two slept, hoping for pleasant dreams instead of nightmares.

-

"You shouldn't have come here," Gerry said to Atlanta as the girl climbed into her bed.

"You can't make my decisions for me," Atlanta replied, trying to get comfortable. "I'm not your responsibility. You don't know me and I don't know you. Why do you even care?"

Gerry sighed. "I don't want you to be alone. I know that you're hurting and I want to help."

"I don't want your help. My mom wanted to help me and it got her killed."

"I'm sorry that she's died. But she saved the lives of many people. Including me and my daughter."

"Can you please tell me the truth? What really happened?"

Gerry sighed and knew he couldn't keep it from her any longer, so he told her everything.

-

Sonya and Raul were being detained in one of the bedrooms. Billy came in.

"How are you two holding up?"

Sonya and Raul stayed silent.

"Are you thirsty? I got some water from the kitchens."

"Why bother?" Sonya asked.

"I got nothing against you two," Billy said honestly. "I work for InGen, but I don't care about the corporate drama. I have a feeling you don't care about the rivalry between our employers either. You just wanted to get payed."

"I just wanted to see them," Raul mentioned. "The dinosaurs. All my life I wondered what they were really like. I jumped at the opportunity many would kill to get."

"You're right about me though," Sonya told Billy. "I don't give a damn about Dodgson. Especially now that he left me and Raul behind to save his own skin."

"You're smart," Billy nodded, handing her some water. "Here. I hope this encourages you to behave yourself. Because we might be your only way off the island."

Sonya took a sip. "Thanks. I guess we're in this together, huh?"

"You can probably cut a deal with InGen to rat out Biosyn," Billy shrugged. "Help them take down Dodgson."

Raul took his water from Billy. "Best offer I heard all day," he smiled.

Dodgson slapped another mosquito on his arm. "This is stupid!" he told Sorkin. "We'll never find the stupid bag." "Keep looking. I haven't come this far to give up now," Sorkin replied. "Come on. Be reasonable. It's pitch black, and we're being eaten alive by mosquitos. Let's go back and give this another crack in the morning," King said, using his come, let-us-be-reasonable voice.But Sorkin stood her ground. "I said no! If we wait till morning, Wu and his companions will be out here. They'll find the bag before we do, and then all of this will have been for nothing." "At this point, I'm starting to not care," Dodgson said. "One more word of complaint and I'll shoot you here and now!" Sorkin barked. Dodgson looked over at King. The man was covered in bug bites. He looked miserable. Dodgson assumed he looked just as bad. Not that he cared about the way he looked at this point.Dodgson caught King's eye again, and with a quick movement, gestured to Sorkin. King studied him for a moment, his dark eyes gleaming, then gave a firm, rigid nod. Quietly, King positioned himself behind Sorkin. Dodgson felt a shrill of excitement pass through him. He pretended to find something: "Hey, look! Is this it?" Sorkin came up behind him, close. Too close. Dodgson swung his arm around, feeling a surge of satisfaction as his elbow connected with Sorkin's cheekbone. A moment later King tackled her to the ground. The two of them began to fight over the gun. Dodgson held back, confident that King would win this fight. But to his surprise, Sorkin proved herself to be a determined fighter. She scratched and bit and did whatever she could to get the upper hand - even biting King on the ear. Dodgson realized he had to get involved, but it was too late he realized. Sorkin had the gun pointed right at King's stomach. Dodgson darted forward, thinking, maybe I can grab it in time - No, he couldn't. With a blast, the gun went off. King let out a weak scream. Sorkin began to point her gun at Dodgson -Dodgson reacted on instinct. His hand flew out and swatted the gun away. He ran for it and picked it up, but as he was turning around to shoot Sorkin, the woman was fleeing into the trees. Dodgson fired several times in rapid succession, missing every shot. He cursed himself for not taking shooting lessons. No matter. She can't get far on her own. Dodgson turned his attention to King, who was now writhing, holding his stomach as a pool of blood leached into the soft leaves beneath him. Dodgson got down on his knees and pressed his hands against King's stomach, instantly bloodying them. He looked around for something he could use as a compress. There was nothing. "Come on Howard, let's get back to the car," he said. He tried to lift King up, but it was useless; King was in no shape to do anything but scream and moan. "Howard, you have to work with me here!" Dodgson contemplated leaving him. Why not? Certainly, he wasn't above doing something like that. But for some reason he found he couldn't. Couldn't just leave King here to bleed out. He couldn't explain why... perhaps the last several months of working closely beside him had forged something of a friendship between them. But Dodgson wasn't the type to make friends... Whatever the reason, Dodgson couldn't abandon King there. Rolling the man over, he peeled off his shirt and tied it around his wound. It was poor craftsmanship, but it would do for now. Then he put King's arm around his neck and pulled him up. King was a bigger man than he, but Dodgson found the strength somewhere to lift him. Then they began the slow, arduous process of stumbling through the dark forest back to the Jeep.

Dodgson lifted King onto the jeep. He knew that they had to get somewhere safe for the night, if there was anywhere safe on the island from its previously prehistoric inhabitants.

To his surprise, Dodgson noticed that Sorkin had left something behind in the jeep. A bag. Dodgson opened it and found eggs. An unexpected development. But not an unpleasant one. Perhaps all this wouldn't be for nothing after all.

There were no keys in the ignition. Sorkin must have them with her, Dodgson realized.

Luckily, Dodgson knew from previous experience how to hot-wire a jeep. A few minutes later, Dodgson started the jeep and he glanced back at the wounded King before focusing on what was ahead. Hopefully, sanctuary.

-

Sorkin stumbled through the jungle. Dammit. She shouldn't have given Dodgson and King a chance. She should have killed them when she had the chance.

She tripped and fell forward, swearing. Then she realized what she had tripped on... the bag she had risked everything for.

Sorkin quickly checked the contents. Yes. Everything she needed was here. Perhaps her luck was about to change and things would go her way after all...